Packing case or rack



Dec. 6, 1960 v W. H. ARTHUR PACKING CASE 0R RACK Filed 001;. 14, 1957 CU/LL/AM HART/101?.

BY 05s men/us, Roam/5% TRITLE & scHm/f.

HIS ATTORNEYS.

INVENTOR.

United States Patent PACKING CASE OR RACK William H. Arthur, Cincinnati, Ohio, assiguor, by mesne assignments, to The Mead Corporation, a corporation of Ohio Filed Oct. 14, 1957, Ser. No. 690,044

1 Claim. (Cl. 220-21) This invention relates to a packing case or rack for packing, handling, and stacking columnar goods, such as bottled or canned carbonated and malt beverages and the like, and it pertains particularly to an open skeletal construction which is light in weight and permits visual inspection of the goods packed therein. This invention is an improvement over the packing case or rack shown in application Serial No. 683,802 which is incorporated herein in full as a part of the present disclosure. The packing case or rack is preferably provided with transverse and longitudinal divisions for dividing same into a plurality of compartments, each of which is of a size to receive a conventional carton containing six bottles or cans.

Cases or racks heretofore used have been made of relatively heavy material, such as wood, metal, or the like, and not of skeletal construction made from light weight material, such as moldable plastics, so that they could be cast integral or in sections which are adapted to be integrated together.

Accordingly, one of the main objects of this invention is a skeletal case or rack which is light in weight and can be molded.

Another object of the invention is a case or rack in which the goods packed therein are visually displayed.

Another object of the invention isa skeletal case or rack which is more efiicient in use and more simple in construction.

Further objects, and objects relating to details of construction and economies of use will readily appear from the detailed description to follow. In one instance, the objects of the invention have been accomplished by the device and means set forth in the following specification. The invention is clearly defined and pointed out in the appended claim. A structure constituting a preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a packing case or rack embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of line 2-2 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view on line 3-3 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring specifically to the drawings in which like numerals designate like parts, numeral 2 is a rectangular bottom having oppositely disposed upstanding end walls 3 and side walls 4, both the side and end walls being slightly inclined outwardly. The bottom is preferably provided with perforations or openings 5 therethrough to permit drainage of any liquid and prevent it from collecting in the bottom of the case or rack.

The case or rack is open at the top, and there is a transverse medial partition 6 and a longitudinal medial partition 7 for dividing the case or rack into four compartments, each of which is of a size to receive a conventional carton of columnar goods, such as carbonated and malt beverages, or the like. Six bottles or cans are ordinarily packed in a conventional carton.

Each of the side walls 4 is provided with elongated openings or recesses 8, preferably two, and each of the end walls 3 is also provided with an elongated opening or recess 9. These openings 8 and 9 extend substantially throughout the length and width of each of the compartments. This sets oif the walls into four corner posts 10 which are connected by the wall portions disposed at the bottom and top of the case, and mid-post 10a in each of the side walls 4. The partition-s 6 and 7 are preferably formed with relief portions 11 extending downwardly from their top edges. This not only lightens the weight of the case, but helps in more fully exposing the goods contained within said case, particularly the body portions of the columnar goods which carry the labels.

Further, the relieved partitions 6 and 7 are so constructed and arranged that a central pillar or post 11a is formed at the juncture of the partitions 6 and 7. In this manner, the post 11a extends throughout the heighth of the case and provides structural means for supporting other cases stacked thereon.

The recesses or openings in the end walls are interrupted by portions 12 of said end walls in which hand holes 13 are provided. The opposite ends of the longitudinal partition 7 are recessed at 14, adjacent the hand holes 13, so that one handling the case can advantageously insert his fingers back of the end bottles within the cartons in order to obtain a more secure grasp for pulling a filled case from a stack. By being able to grasp the bottles within the case and exert a pull thereon, also avoids less pull and strain upon the end of the case. This also permits the case or rack being made lighter in weight and of less strength.

The case or rack is preferably made of transparent plastic material which also visually exposes any of the labels on the goods which otherwise might be hidden or concealed by the end and side walls. However, with the side and end walls skeletonized, the columnar articles are fully displayed with little, if any, concealment thereof by the walls.

I am aware that there may be various changes in details of construction without departing from the spirit of my invention, and, therefore I claim my invention broadly as indicated by the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and useful and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent, is:

A case for columnar goods and comprising a perforated rectangular bottom having upwardly and outwardly disposed opposed end and side walls, said end and side walls having elongated openings provided therein, and transverse and longitudinal partitions dividing said case into a plurality of substantially equal compartments, said partitions each being relieved in the upper portions thereof to define a post at the juncture of the partitions, said post extending throughout the heighth of said case.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 873,085 Repetto Dec. 10, 1907 1,887,300 Goldstein Nov. 8, 1932 2,334,198 Hutchings Nov. 16, 1943 2,535,493 Gerber Dec. 26, 1950 2,656,947 Stevenson Oct. 27, 1953 2,673,658 Stevenson Mar. 30, 1954 2,708,028 Murphy May 10, 1955 2,830,729 Brackett Apr. 15, 1958 

